Christmas At The Brotherhoods
by Race Baj 2.0
Summary: During a snow storm the Brotherhood spend Christmas Eve night at the Brotherhood's house.


(I don't own X-Men Evo or any characters)

  
  
  
  


"Kitty can we go." Lance Alvers groaned. It was Christmas Eve, and he was in the place he wanted to be the least, School! He was there with Kitty, who had forgot to return her costume after the Christmas play, and was there now putting it back. There she had met Jean, who was getting some extra credit doing some work after school, and was now in a heated debate with her. Scott Summers stood across the hall from him, he was there with Jean. Lance couldn't see it through the glasses, but he knew Scott was glaring it him.

"So, you are bringing Kitty home right after she is done?" Lance sighed at Scott's comment. 

"Come on Summers, she plans to get on that plane today to see her family, she needs to get her suit case before the plane leaves, do you think I would take her somewhere else unless she wanted to?"

"I don't know, would you?" Lance sighed, he expected this. "Why don't you just let me take Kitty back?"

"What, you have that little trust in me?"

"Oh I don't know, it may stem from you dropping a building on her, after trying to make her steal for you."

"Oh like you never did anything bad?"

"No, I'm not on Santa's naughty list."

"So you aren't going to try anything with Jean? You're the only ones not going anywhere." Scott's face went as red as his glasses at Lance's accusation, which made him grin.

"No, of course not!"

"Well for your information, all I'm going to do is give Kitty her Present and then bring her back to the mansion."

"Good." Lance could sense that Scott still didn't trust him. Kitty and Jean walked out of the room they were in and Kitty hugged Lance's arm. 

"Like, lets go Lance."

"Alright, no-" Lance opened the door for the four to walk out, and saw a sight that scared him, the streets were filled with snow, and there was a blizzard! "Problem..." Lance and Kitty got into his jeep and started it up, it sill worked, but would it be able to move in the snow? Success, Lance pulled the car back and was going out of the parking lot, but Jean waved them down.

"Scott's car won't move." She told Kitty and Lance. "Can we get a lift?" Lance banged his head on the wheel a couple of times in frustration. Scott was busily trying to dig around his cars wheels. Lance let out a sigh and nodded. Moments later Jean and Scott had piled into the back of the jeep and Lance drove. Lance looked over at Kitty, but was returned by Scott kicking his seat.

"Eyes on the road Alvers." Lance grumbled at Scott's comment. He drove them to the mansion and everyone got out and looked on in shock. The whole mansion was covered in snow! The Snow had fallen off the roof and now the doors and windows were caved in. In front of the institute sat Rogue, Evan, and Kurt.

"We are stuck out." Evan grumbled.

"Can't Kurt just teleport inside?" Lance asked marveling at what had happened.

"No chance, I don't know how much that snow is covering, and the automatic defenses might fry me."

"So we're stuck?" Scott's jaw dropped.

"It looks like it..." Jean sighed.

"I'll help you guys out, time to rock and roll." Lance concentrated and the ground started to shake.

"No!" Kitty cried and stopped Lance.

"What?"

"We don't know what that may cause." Rogue warned. "But this all gets worse, we don't have any money to stay at a hotel."

"Where are we going to go?" Jean whined. Scott and Jean collapsed to the ground depressed and Kitty looked at Lance.

"No... no way... not a chance!."

  
  


Lance Alvers jeep was headed back to the Brotherhood house. Inside the jeep Lance, Kitty, Scott, Jean, and Rogue sat. Kurt and Evan skied on Evan's spikes, holding onto the back of the jeep. They soon reached the house and everyone got out. Lance walked inside to be greeted by Todd and Fred.

"Hey man, the whole North Side of town is having a freak snow storm yo." Todd said hopping up to Lance.

"I know." He sighed as the X-Men walked in. Fred and Todd got in fighting stances and Pietro ran into the room.

"What are they doing here!?" Pietro asked harshly.

"They can't get into their house, they will be staying with us."

"No way." The brotherhood collectively said.

"Well I'm the leader, so tough."

"This is your fault" Pietro grumped to Kitty as they walked in.

"Wow." Evan said as they looked around the broken, dilapidated room.

"This is a dump." Jean couldn't help but say it.

"Congratulations Red, your out of here." Pietro said as Fred picked her up by the back of her shirt and attempted to toss her out. Lance stepped in the way to stop him.

"Fred, as much as I want to see her thrown out, cut her some slack. She is a spoiled kid who has never had to do with less then perfect in her entire life."

"That's not true." Jean protested.

"Well... actually." Kitty nervously said. "You really have had life pretty good, you came from a loving, rich family, and then you went to the institute."

"Well... I know what its like to suffer... I have to spend the night here don't I!?" Jean sat down angrily folding her arms when Tabitha walked in.

"What's with the geek squad?"

"They need a place to crash, so they are staying here." Todd grumbled.

"Well they aren't staying in my room." She stated.

"Actually Tabby they are. We have four rooms, the girls will get two, they guys get the other two." Lance was met with groans and the X-Men sat down. Todd hopped over to the Christmas tree and was joined by Fred. Tabby and Pietro danced to the Nutcracker song, and Lance just sat in the corner thinking. Lance felt a hand on his shoulder an realized Kitty had sat beside him.

"How are you doing." She asked.

"Fine I guess."

"Sorry about the others, they are trying to be polite."

"Not trying very hard." Kitty decided to change the subject.

"Its warm in here, I thought you couldn't pay the heating bills?"

"We couldn't, so we covered most of the closet in brick and started a fire."

"What!?" Kitty's jaw dropped.

"Relax, its safe, its like having a fireplace." Lance laughed.

"Ok." Kitty grinned.

"But... stay away from the west wall."

  
  


Over the next hour Lance and Kitty talked, while the brotherhood and X-Men glared at each other, finally Kitty broke the silence. 

"Lets play a game." Lance and Pietro groaned as Todd, Tabbitha, and Fred got the only game in the house, Scrabble. 

"Fred, Vugu is not a word." Jean sighed as he placed the tiles on the board. Jean of course was winning, and Rogue and the Brotherhood thought she was cheating.

"Todd, Tabby, and me have special rules, if a word sounds real, it is a word."

"But it doesn't sound real."

"We have to have a vote, all who think its real, raise your hands." The Brotherhood, and Kurt raised their hands. Jean shot Kurt a death glare as Fred calculated his points. It was Lance's turn next so he wrote the best word he was able to spell with his letters. Fred and Todd started snickering and most of the X-Men went wide eyed.

"You can't use that Lance!" Jean protested.

"Why not? It's a word."

"It's a dirty word!"

"Its in the dictionary."

"I don't care, you can't use it."

"But it is a perfectly fair word, even if you consider it bad." Lance grinned. "Do you challenge?"

"No." Jean muttered and went back to her tiles. 

  
  


Jean had ended up winning the game and now the gang sat around the TV watching it's a wonderful life.

"I love this movie." Kitty said as she snuggled up close to Lance.

"So do I." He said looking down at Kitty.

"Man this is so boring." Fred groaned.

"Yeah, isn't there anything else on?" Evan asked. 

"Only about a hundred versions of a Christmas Carol." Kurt sighed.

"Muppets?" Todd asked hopefully.

"Nope." Kurt hung his head back. 

"Kitty... I'm sorry you couldn't go back to see your family." Lance said.

"Its not your fault Lance, and being with you is almost as good." Lance smiled at Kitty's kind words. "Besides, you don't have a family, that must be rough."

"Kitty, I do have a family." He said gesturing to Fred and Todd and Tabby "Where is..." Lance looked behind him to see Pietro listening in on their conversation.

"Hey buddy."

"Pietro!" Lance dove at him, catching him off guard, and pinning him to the ground. "I'm gunna kill you!" 

"Wonderbar, I could be back in Germany with my family but instead I'm stuck here with the Brotherhood." Kurt groaned.

"I know you all had somewhere to go, and wish you weren't here, but at least we have somewhere to go, be thankful." Scott said. Lance got off Pietro and went and sat down with Kitty.

  
  


After the movie they decided they had to decide who would sleep where.

"I am not sleeping in the same room as that Psycho!" Jean shouted point at Tabitha.

"You could sleep with me." Pietro said standing next to her, Jean promptly moved away.

"How about Pietro, Scott, and Kurt in one, Evan, Myself, Todd, and Fred, in another Jean and Kitty, in one, and Tabby and Rogue in another." Kitty cringed but since everyone else shrugged in agreement she went along. Everyone went off to their rooms except Lance who collapsed on the chair and sighed. A Small breeze past him, further annoying him. "What Pietro."

"You really like her don't you?" Pietro asked, looking at Lance.

"What do you mean?"

"Come on Lance, would you really take the X-Men in if Kitty wasn't your girlfriend."

"I don't know, but its a lot of stress." He sighed. "At least with just the five of us it was easy to convince Todd and Fred to bunk up."

"Come on man, you need sleep."

"I think I'll just stay here for a little while." Pietro patted him on the back and took off.

  
  


After Pietro had found everyone sheets, he went to his room. Pietro took the mattresses off his bed and gave one to Scott and one to Kurt.

"Where are you going to sleep?" Kurt asked laying down. Without an answer a heavy breeze hit as Pietro ran off. Moments later he was back, and had set up a Hammock. The three spent some time trying to get to sleep but one by one they sat up, restless.

"I normally don't go to sleep this early."

"Its Eleven o' clock." Kurt pointed out.

"Because of my powers I only need a few hours to sleep." he shrugged.

"Well I can't get to sleep." Scott groaned.

"So how goes your courting of Red?" Pietro grinned.

"What?"

"Jean, you still haven't decide that you two were on a date, so are you courting her or what?" Pietro leaned over the edge of his hammock and grinned at Scott below.

"Pietro do you want me to take these glasses off?"

"Hey just answer my question."

"Jean is going out with Duncan." Scott said regrettably. "Evil, stupid, jock, popular, Duncan."

"You know Summers you and I are not much different." Pietro pointed out.

"Yes we are."

"No, we all are alike, out casts of society, because we walk by the beat of are own drum."

"Pietro you walk to the beat of a marching band."

"No but think about it, we are not the popular kids at Bayville. Sure I'm known at the private all girl's schools as fast hands, but at Bayville I'm not that far up the popularity food chain."

"Fast hands?" Kurt said shocked.

"I would rather not delve into that, but think about it, Jean goes out with Duncan because he is popular, why do you think your second string to him in her heart."

"Lets change the subject." Scott grumbled laying back down.

"You can deny the truth if you want." Pietro shrugged. "But if you hang off Jean you won't find happiness like Blue boy."

"Good night Pietro." Scott said more of a warning then a good night.

"Good night Blue Boy, Good night Shades." Pietro responded.

"Good night fast hands." Kurt snickered.

"Coming from a guy... that just sounds wrong." Pietro sighed.

  
  


"Where is Lance?" Todd asked as Fred lay down four mattresses from his and Todd's beds for Himself, Todd, Evan, and Lance.

"Does it matter?" Evan grumbled. 

"Well yeah." Fred sighed sitting down.

"What's that?" Todd asked, pointing to a pill Evan was taking.

"I have insomnia." Evan explained. "It's a sleeping pill, I take one to get to sleep, now shut up and do the same." Evan lay down.

"He isn't very nice." Fred pointed out, by now Evan was fast asleep.

"Your right, I think he needs to be taught a lesson." Todd grinned evilly. 

  
  


Jean and Kitty lay down in their room.

"Jean." Kitty began.

"Let me get some sleep Kitty, the sooner I can sleep the sooner I can get out of here!" Jean snapped.

"But Jean, Lance is like, really nice to let us stay here, don't you think you could be nicer?"

"No."

"But-"

"Kitty, I hate to be the one to tell you this, but Lance is trash, he is no good."

"No, that's not true at all."

"Do you think he would really take us all in unless he had a alternative motive?"

"Maybe someone who is poor and had a rough life might be good?"

"He tried to kill you!"

"The holiday season is about forgiving! Not being superficial." Kitty pouted.

"Kitty, people can change, but Lance isn't human, he is scum."

"That's enough!" Tears started to form in Kitty's eyes. "Lance is sweet, and sensitive and does anything for me, and he is a lot better of a person then you!"

"What does that mean?"

"If they had no where to go you wouldn't let them into the institute!"

"Yes I would."

"No the professor would, and you would hide until they're gone!"

"Kitty, I won't have this conversation!"

"Its because I'm right, you are superficial! Duncan dates you because your hot, which makes him shallow, but you date him to boost your popularity, don't you think that's worse?" Jean didn't say anything, she just lay down and ignored Kitty. Kitty also tried to go to sleep. Moments later Jean's familiar snoring came. Kitty tried to ignore it, but Jean loses control of her powers and the snoring entered Kitty's mind. Kitty sighed and walked out of the room and down stairs.

  
  


Rogue and Tabitha stared at each other without saying anything, neither were particularly tired. They heard Kitty's screaming in the next room.

"What do you think that is?" Tabitha asked.

"Jean is probably being a stuck up queen again." Rogue said folding her arms. Silence followed with Kitty walking out of the room and Tabitha broke the silence. 

"Why don't you tell Scott you like him?"

"What?" Rogue was caught off guard by the question.

"Come on, I stayed at the Institute for a week and even that wasn't needed to see it, most people at school know." Tabitha grinned.

"I don't-"

"then why do you always stare at him?"

"I-"

"All someone has to do is ask Risty to confirm it, if its not obvious enough."

"But-"

"Listen girl, Scott likes you too."

"No he likes Jean..."

"Well if not you can fall back on Pietro."

"What?" Rogue was surprised by the comment.

"Pietro finds you attractive."

"Me?"

"Yeah, he always stares at you, and he talks about the time you spent at the Brotherhood house."

"Yeah... they house sure is in a lot worse shape then it was when I left."

"Yeah they blame me for the holes in the wall." Tabitha frowned.

"Who did it then?"

"Well me, but they shouldn't blame me for it." Rogue laughed at the comment.

"Rogue laughed!"

"No I-"

"The stone girl laughed!"

"I didn't."

"Hey everyone Rogue-" Tabitha was cut off by Rogue tackling her to the ground.

"Not a word!" She threatened taking her glove off.

"Not a word."

"Clear?"

"Clear." Rogue got off and lay down, Tabitha giggled to herself all the while though.

"This will be a long night.

  
  
  
  


"What's that shouting." Fred asked as Kitty yelled in the room next to them.

"Probably her yelling at Jean." Todd responded as Kitty was heard leaving the room. "You got the rope?"

"Yeah?"

"I think we need some Bed Sheets."

"Good idea."

  
  


Kitty walked downstairs and saw Lance sitting on the chair.

"Lance?" She asked. Lance got up with a start, and looked around. "Did I scare you?"

"Scare, no I was getting in a battle stance, I... stand watch every night."

"This is hard on you, isn't it?" Lance caved.

"Yeah, I never liked Christmas because all the families I've been with have been jerks, and the kids at the Orphanages used to use me as a slave, every Christmas I would be given as a gift to another kid." Lance sighed.

"That's horrible!" Kitty exclaimed.

"I wish I could meet them now, I would beat in their face." Lance almost screamed as he punched the wall.

"Its ok." Kitty put her hand on his shoulder.

"Last year was the best Christmas of my life, Me, Fred, Pietro, and Todd all got up early, Fred cooked breakfast, and we exchanged presents. This morning all of the X-Geeks will charge out of here early morning with rude comments and make this a lousy Christmas."

"Its alright Lance, you have to trust things will work out."

"For you maybe."

"Lance, you really love your friends don't you?"

"Well... yeah."

"Then don't you think that meeting them worked out for the best?"

"Well... yes."

"Then don't you think you could afford to look at life with a ray of sunshine in it?"

"Yeah."

"And didn't meeting me work out for the best, even if we got off to a rough start?"

"Yeah." Lance hugged Kitty. "Oh!" Lance reached in his pocket and handed Kitty a gold wrapped box. "I don't think I will have a chance to give it to you tomorrow morning."

"Oh Lance." Kitty gave him a kiss on the cheek and took the gift. She opened it. It was a small locket. She opened it and on the left there was a picture of all the X-men (along with Kitty) Along with all the X-Men's parents and the Institute teachers, the picture that was taken the Thanksgiving before. In gold letters was written 'Your Family' and on the other side of the locket it had a picture of Lance and Kitty together. "Its beautiful Lance." Kitty said hugging him.

  
  


Lance had walked Kitty upstairs and Rogue and Tabitha said it would be ok if she slept in their room. Lance walked to Fred and Todd's where he would be sleeping and walked inside, immediately he noticed them up talking, and Evan gone. "Where is he?" Lance demanded.

"Outside." Todd responded.

"What?"

"Look out the window." Fred gestured to the window. Outside was a bundle of blankets hanging from the window by rope.

"Is that?"

"Yup, we were just going to let him hand, but he might catch a cold so we decided it wouldn't be nice to not give him blankets."

"Oh yeah that would be being mean." Lance said sarcastically. 

"Exactly." Lance lay down and Fred and Todd stopped talking and went to sleep.

  
  


"Its Christmas!" Todd shouted. Lance groaned and started to get on his hands and knees but Todd jumped on his back on the way to the door. Lance fell to the floor and tried to get up again.

"Quiet Todd, we need to make breakfast before the others wake up."

"Come on Lance." Fred picked him up Lance got to his feet and pulled evan back up and untied the bed sheets and rope from around him. Lance then went downstairs and walked over to his chair. Fred handed him some coffee and Lance gulped it down in one swig. "Do I need to make breakfast for the others too?" Fred asked lance, poking his head in from the kitchen. Lance thought for a second, and nodded. He sat there looking at the Christmas photo of the Brotherhood. Wonderful smells came from the kitchen, and chatter from Fred and Todd mixed in with the sounds of the crackling fire in the closet. "Todd, hand me those eggs. No not that, no, Todd, the other ones, yeah those." Lance laughed to himself, being with a house of maniacs sure was peaceful in the morning. 

  
  


"Ooh what's that smell?" Kitty asked as she woke up.

"Are you telling me you have never had one of Blobs incredible morning breakfasts?" Tabitha asked, also getting up. "On holidays, when we actually buy really good foods, Blob makes incredible meals."

"It smells great." Rogue agreed standing up.

"Lets head down there." Tabitha suggested walking out the door, followed by the other two girls.

  
  


Pietro had been up for the last hour doing his morning work out and shower. He had come from the bathroom, now clean and was laying in his hammock again. His watch beeped, signaling the time to get up and he jumped out of bed and kicked Scott and Kurt.

"What?" Scott groaned.

"Wonderbar, you wouldn't believe the dream I was having." Kurt got up and glared at Pietro. "Rise and shine, Fred has breakfast almost ready."

"What? You guys cook?" Scott was in awe.

"More then that, we feast."

"We don't eat stolen food." Scott said getting up.

"Speak for yourself, that smells great." Kurt almost floated to the smell.

"We never steal at the holidays, we get part time jobs." Pietro informed him.

"Why don't you just do that all year round?"

"No one hires us because we come from the broken down home and don't look presentable. People are more giving during the holiday season."

"You're telling me you would work if you could be hired." Scott raised an eyebrow.

"Of course, you don't choose to be poor." Pietro left and Scott sat back down thinking.

"You coming?" Kurt asked.

"In a minute..." Kurt ported away, leaving Scott.

  
  


Kurt ported into Jean's room and was greeted with horrible snoring in his ears and mind. He grudgingly went and shook her a bit.

"Go away."

"Jean you gotta wake up, its breakfast."

"I thought we were at the brotherhood's?"

"We are, now wake up." Kurt ported away and Jean got up wand walked downstairs.

  
  


The whole gang upstairs all met at the top and walked to the living room where Lance sat.

"That smells amazing!" Kurt marveled, drifting into the kitchen, in a second he was escorted out by Todd.

"No one in the great Fred Duke's kitchen except his assistants, breakfast will be in a few minutes.

"I didn't know Fred was such a good cook." Jean stood amazed.

"We have special talents." Pietro laughed. "I bet you didn't know that I can make great clothes with the material, Tabby can sing, Todd is a writer, and Lance is a accomplished flute player."

"Flute." Almost all of the X-Men said in unison.

"I didn't know that." Kitty said, sitting on the arm of Lance's chair.

"You should, he wrote several songs dedicated to you." Pietro explained.

"You don't know when to shut up." Lance got up and started unsuccessfully chasing Pietro.

"Can I use the phone?" Jean shouted into the Kitchen, ignoring the chaos around her.

"Its in the entrance on the table." Todd shouted back. Jean walked over to it just as Scott came down. He ran over to Jean as she picked up the phone.

"Jean I need to talk to-"

"One second Scott- Duncan... hi. Yeah I know, I got caught in the snow storm, yeah I'm fine. Party? Well I don't know, I think I have plans... well no they aren't that important... Yes, I can go." Jean hung up the phone and walked over to Scott. "Scott, I'm sorry, I have to cancel our plans to go caroling tonight."

"Yeah that's fine," Scott said understandingly.

"Thank's, I knew you would understand, I'm going to this party at Duncan Mathews house." Scott simply walked away and upstairs. 

"The queen of tact." Lance muttered to Pietro, who he had been strangling not far from the scene.

  
  


Scott was not crushed, but angry. He stood looking at himself in the mirror in the bathroom. The door was open and Rogue walked in behind him.

"Scott..." 

"Hi Rogue." he said not moving.

"Are you ok?" She asked, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm just really mad right now."

"Scott, why do you do it?"

"What?"

"You follow Jean hand and foot, and she doesn't have a good personality, so what is it? I know your too good to be after here because of looks."

"I just... its stupid."

"Tell me."

"I just... I have been alone all this time. My family died when I was little and no one liked me when I was growing up. I came to the institute, and... Jean was my first friend. I guess I just always thought she liked me."

"But you're, your way to good for her." Scott turned around, bring himself face to face with Rogue. Rogue backed away a little and smiled.

"Thanks... thanks for listening." Scott held his arms open and Rogue and him hugged.

"Hey love birds, breakfast is ready yo!" Todd shouted through the door.

"Shall we." Scott held his arm out and Rogue took it, and they walked downstairs together. 

  
  


Breakfast could only be described as a feast. They group had scrounged up night stands, and other assorted tables from the house, as well as any chairs they could find, and managed to make a table for the eleven. The meal consisted of sausages, bacon, pancakes, crepes, omelets, scrambled eggs, toast, fried potatoes, fried veggies, cinnamon buns, and croissants, and it consisted of it in bulk.

"Ok lets go over the rules." Lance began.

"You have rules for eating?" Evan asked.

"Yeah, we take all we think we can eat, and Fred takes the rest, anything you don't eat, is free game for anyone." Todd explained.

"The lets dig in." Kurt reached for the bacon but his hand was slapped by Todd.

"We say grace first." Everyone bowed their heads and Lance said a small prayer. "Now we dig in!"

  
  


After breakfast, everyone had eaten their fill and were sitting around the burning closet.

"I gotta say, you guys aren't half bad hosts." Evan said slapping Todd on the back, snickered under his breath.

"Yes this was pretty nice." Scot admitted.

"We should do this every year." Fred exclaimed, but was shot glares by everyone else.

"Well... Jean contacted the professor, the roads are clear, and the X-Van is being sent to pick us up..." Kitty said quietly to Lance.

"Yeah."

"Everything did work out well though, didn't it?" Lance gave a nod and put his arm around Kitty. Suddenly a car horn honked and everyone looked out the window to see the X-Van. Most of the X-Men ran out the door except for Rogue, Scott, and Kitty.

"Thanks." Rogue said to Tabitha, before joining the others. Scott also gave a quick thank you to Lance and left.

"Thanks so much Lance." Kitty said, giving him a soft kiss before leaving. As Lance watched the van drive away he heard the voice of professor X in his mind.

"Thank you Lance."

"No." He thought, "It was my pleasure."


End file.
